DMDK will contest alone for Lok Sabha polls: Vijayakant

Actor-turned-politician Vijayakant's Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam has made it clear that his party will have no alliance with any of the major political parties in Tamil Nadu for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls, reports MR Venkatesh.

Actor-turned-politician Vijayakant's Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK) on Thursday lifted the veil of silence over the alliance issue with its leader, making it clear that his party will have no alliance with any of the major political parties in Tamil Nadu for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls.

"My alliance is only with the people and with God," Vijayakant declared recommencing his party's election campaign at the southern tip of Kanniyakumari on Thursday afternoon, picking up the thread he had left at Kancheepuram last Sunday.

"I am only depending on you," he told the large crowd who had gathered to hear the actor, hailed as 'black MGR', speak when he introduced the party's Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha candidate, S Austin, surprisingly a former AIADMK MLA.

"We are facing this election alone and you should give us a chance to make our (DMDK) presence felt in New Delhi and take up with the Centre serious issues facing Tamil Nadu," Vijayakant said, making it clear that he was not aligning with any of the Dravidian parties.

Before leaving for Kanniyakumari, Vijayakant released in Chennai the DMDK's first list of nine party candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, including for the seats of Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Virdhunagar, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai , Theni and Namakkal. Interestingly, the DMDK's candidate contesting the Virdhunagar seat is 'Mafoi' Pandiyarajan, a well-known Management Consultant based in Chennai.